Two Republican senators accused of endangering Vladimir’s security Zelensky after posting photos during a live video call between U.S. lawmakers and the Ukrainian president on Saturday – after politicians were explicitly warned to refrain from sharing information that could compromise his security.
Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Steve Danes of Montana posted pictures of Zelenskiy on their respective Twitter accounts while the Zoom meeting was underway.
Zelensky, who courageously remained in Kyiv as Vladimir PutinRussian troops are advancing towards the capital and shelling many other Ukrainian cities, survived three assassination attempts by pro-Kremlin Wagner mercenaries and Chechen special forces. Sunday Times.
The 280-odd senators, members of the House of Representatives and staff members who tuned in for the virtual meeting, which ended around 10:25 a.m. EST, explicitly asked not to tweet or release photos of the call while it was in progress, several aides told NBC News.
‘[The] The Ambassador of Ukraine deliberately asked each of us on Zoom NOT to share anything on social media during the meeting to protect President Zelensky’s safety,” Minnesota Democrat Representative Dean Phillips tweeted.
“Awful and reckless ignorance on the part of two U.S. senators.”
Both Florida Senator Marco Rubio (right) (tweet pictured left) and Montana Senator Steve Danes (right) (tweet pictured right) posted images of a Zoom conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday morning, though they were specifically told don’t do it. do this before the end of the meeting for security reasons
Florida Senator Marco Rubio (left) and Montana Senator Steve Danes (left) released photos from a conference with the President of Ukraine.
More than 280 senators, members of the House of Representatives and staff tuned in for the virtual meeting (pictured) that ended around 10:25 am EST.
Democratic representatives, including Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes (pictured on Twitter), posted images from the Zoom conference but did so after the meeting ended.
The Ukrainian president (pictured on the front lines) has admitted he knows he is Russia’s biggest target. The Wagner group, which has 400 members in Kyiv alone, and a Chechen tried to kill him last week.
Rep. Jason Crowe, a Democrat from Colorado, also criticized Republican senators for sharing screenshots of the phone call.
“The lack of discipline in Congress is truly astounding,” he tweeted.
“If a military commander asks you to keep quiet about the meeting, you better keep quiet about the meeting. I don’t say shit. Lives are at stake.
The call was coordinated with the offices of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (right) of New York and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) of Kentucky, as well as the US Congressional Caucus on Ukraine, an aide to the Democratic leader told the publication.
Democratic Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota called Rubio and Danes’ tweets “terrifying and reckless.”
Democratic Representative James Crow of Colorado blasted the two Republican senators on Twitter.
Rubio and Danes defended their decision to share the photos, calling the protest “partisan”.
“More than 160 members of Congress participated in the highly publicized Zoom call,” Rubio’s spokesperson said in a statement. “There was no identifying information.”
A spokesperson for Daines said his tweet, which was posted about 23 minutes after the hour-long Zoom meeting, was “spread during a call… before being asked not to” and contained “no identifying information.”
“We should focus on what’s important here, which is support for Ukraine,” Danes’ spokesman added.
Several Democratic Party representatives, including Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes, also posted images from the conference call, but waited until the meeting ended.
Since the conflict began on February 24, Zelenskiy (pictured) has been posting videos on his official Instagram account directly appealing to the world for supplies and assistance.
A stream of comments from Twitter users like the one above demanded that the social media platform take down the senators’ tweets.
Himes tweeted that Zelenskiy is “holding on tight but begging for more help.” Aircraft, oil embargo, ongoing military assistance,” adding that “we have been asked not to post during the zoom. It was published much later.”
Republicans have also called senators, with former GOP National Committee chairman Michael Steele taking to Twitter to specifically denounce Rubio.
“Dude, what the hell is wrong with you? You are Vice Chairman of the Intelligence Select Committee and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee,” Steele wrote.
“You have been specifically asked NOT to share this briefing with Zelenskiy. Why would you risk his safety for a tweet?
A flood of comments from Twitter users demanding that the social media platform remove the senators’ tweets prompted Rubio to trend on Saturday afternoon.
During the call, Zelenskiy asked for a no-fly zone over Ukrainian airspace for Russian-made aircraft, multiple sources told NBC. Earlier Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any move to create such a no-fly zone would be seen as “participation” in the conflict.
Schumer reportedly told Zelensky that Congress would “quickly” receive $10 billion in economic, humanitarian and security assistance for the Ukrainian people.
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia (D) asked about the possibility of a ban on Russian oil, a move hinted at on Friday by Cecilia Rose, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Zelensky also asked about imposing sanctions to prevent Russia from using Visa and Mastercard. Earlier this week, both companies blocked some Russian financial services from accessing their networks, but not all.
Republicans have also called out senators, with former GOP National Committee chairman Michael Steele taking to Twitter to denounce their actions.
Around 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, hours after a Zoom meeting with U.S. officials, Zelensky posted a video of another meeting with Elon Musk (pictured) that appeared to have been filmed at the same location.
Since the conflict began on Feb. 24, Zelenskiy has been posting videos on his official Instagram account directly appealing to the world for supplies and assistance, and has been photographed in uniform on the front lines by Reuters and other media outlets.
Around 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, hours after the Zoom meeting with U.S. officials, Zelensky posted a video of another meeting with Elon Musk that appeared to have been filmed at the same location.
“I was talking to Elon Musk,” Zelensky wrote in Ukrainian. “He thanked Ukraine for its support in word and deed. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities.”
“We also talked about possible space projects and a visit to Ukraine. But more about that after the war.
Musk, 50, sent a set of antennas to Ukraine this week after their president expressed concern that Ukrainians could lose internet access if Russia continues to attack communication towers, as it did with the bombing Kyiv TV tower on Wednesday.